Jordan Lees

I’m interested in any kind of crime/thriller, whether commercial, literary or high-concept. I read very widely across the genre, but particular favourites include Belinda Bauer, Tana French, Mick Herron, Gillian Flynn and Jane Harper. I’m interested in any kind of detective fiction or locked-room mystery, and I’m also drawn to books that play with, subvert or interrogate the genre, like Paul Auster’s THE NEW YORK TRILOGY or THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY by G.K Chesterton.

I’m keen to find elegant literary thrillers in the vein of Leila Slimani’s books, and am fascinated by folklore, fable and horror – so anything which works in those elements will likely grab my attention. In this space I loved MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite, SISTERS by Daisy Johnson and PINE by Francine Toon.

In the upmarket and literary space, I’m drawn first and foremost to beautiful writing, to novels with a strong sense of time and place, and to an arresting, distinctive voice. My tastes are very varied in this area, so it could be something grounded and contemporary like DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver or CLOSE TO HOME by Michael Magee, historical like IN MEMORIAM by Alice Winn, or with a fantastical slant like BABEL by R.F Kuang.

My favourite authors include Paul Auster, Max Porter, Angela Carter, John Fowles, Neil Gaiman, Italo Calvino, Leïla Slimani, Barbara Kingsolver, Cormac McCarthy, Marlon James, Maggie O’Farrell, and Raymond Chandler.

True crime and smart non-fiction